Safety device for boats towing dragnets



June 27, 1950 v. D'INTINO 2,513,153

SAFETY DEVICE FOR BOATS TOWING DRAGNETS Filed July 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 27, 1950 v. D'INTINO 2,513,153

SAFETY DEVICE FOR BOATS TOWING DRAGNETS Filed July 2l, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented June Z7,l 1950 SAFETY DEVICE FOR BOATS TOWING DRAGNETS vito DIntino, sea Isle city, N. J.

Application Juiy 2 1, 1947,seria1No. 762,311

1 Claim. 1

In one type of commercial fishing, a relatively large net is dragged by means of a power boat, and it sometimes happens that, while in motion, the net gets snagged, thus causing damage to the net and, possibly, to the boat towing the net.

It is therefore an object of the invention to produce a safety devicewhereby the operator of the boat towing the net is immediately apprised whenever the net gets snagged or when, for any reason, the pull `or, load on the net or on any given portions thereof is not uniform or is in excess of a predetermined limit.

A further object is to produce a safety device which, when the pull on the net exceeds a predetermined limit, automatically deenergizes or deactivates the engine which propels the boat towing the net thus guarding against damage to the net or to the boat.

A still further object of the invention is to produce an improved safety `device of the type set forth.

` A still further object is to produce an improved safety device'which is inexpensive to produce and install and which can be readily incorporated in, or added to, the structure of the engine of a boat.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by my invention as set forth in the following specification and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary and diagrammatic top plan view of a motor driven boat provided with my invention, the boat being shown towing a net. Fig. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic and fragmentary vertical sectional view lookingin the direction of line 2--12 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic horizontal sectional view looking in the direction of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view looking in the direction of the line I-li on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing details of construction. Y.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view looking in the direction of line --I on Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlargement of some of the parts shown at the right hand end of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the position of the parts when the net is snagged.

In Fig. 1 there is diagrammatically shown a boat towing a net I2 propelled by means of calill- 235) `bles I4, the boat being propelled by a suitable engine not shown.

On the deck, orrat any other suitable location on the boat I fasten a box like structure which houses the safety device of my invention.

As best shown 4in Figs. 2 and 3 the box like structure includes vertical side Walls I6, vertical end wall I8 and 20, a bottom Wall 22 and a false bottom 24. The structure I6 may be secured to the boat deck by bolts or the like engaging the bottom wall `22 and the deck or other fixed portion of the boat. The false bottom 24 supports some of the parts of the safety device mechanism as can be seen from Figs. 2 and 4.

The safety device includes a pair of pistons or plungers 26 and 28 which reciprocate in juxtaposed sleeves 30 and 32, carried by the end walls i8 and 20. The sleeves thus form bearing supports for the ends of the plungers. The plungers are urged to the right, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3 by compression springs 33 which are confined between washers 34 which abut the sleeves 32 and washers 36 which are freely slidable on the plungers and which, when the springs 33 are not compressed, abutV thev adjacent portions of vertically extending arms 38 and 40 whereby the arms 38and 40, are moved to an extreme right hand Kposition in which'they abut the sleeves 30. The lower portions of the arms 38 and 40 are enlarged and are provided with apertures l2 through which the plungers 25 and 28 pass. In other words the arms 26 and 2B support and guide the vertical arms 38 and 4I). 'In order to prevent tilting and therefore binding `of the arms 38 and 40, I provide additional guide bearings disposed above the plungers 26 and 28. These additional guide bearingsare in the nature` of rods .44 vthe right hand ends of which pass through openings in the arms 38 and 4I] and the left hand vends of which are secured in mounting blocks 45. The guide rods 44 are adjustably secured to the mounting blocks as by a set screw 45 and the other ends thereof may be threadedV and en@ gaged by a nut 41. This is not only a, simple and convenient arrangement, `but it also serves to limit the movements ofthe arms -38 andk I'to the right as viewed in Fig. 2.

To the upper ends of the arms 38 and dll, I secure the cables or tow lines I4 so that any pull exerted on either or both of the cables is translated into movement of the arms 38 and 4t against the action of the springs` 33. The resistance of the springs 33 is so calibrated that they are not appreciably compressed by the normal load or pull of the dragnet I2 even when the dragnet is full of fish. However, if the net is snagged, or if, for any reason, one side or the other of the net is subjected to excessive pull or load, the arms 38 and 40 or either of them, will move to the left as viewed in Fig. 2.

In order to indicate the prevailing load conditions to the operator, the outer ends of the sleeves 32 are filled with liquid and tubes 4B lead from the ends of the sleeves to right and leftl hand gauges 50 and 52. Therefore when either the arms 38 or 48 moves to theleft, as shown in Fig. 8, the corresponding plunger 25 or 28 will displace liquid from the corresponding sleeve 32.v

This displacement of the liquid is measured by the corresponding gauge 50 or 52 and enables the operator to take the steps indicated.

If the net is snagged and if the boat continues to be propelled by its engine, the net or some part of the boat, whichever is weaker, 'will give and in order to guard against this eventuality, I provided means for shutting off the engine propelling the boat whenever the drag of the net exceeds a predetermined limit.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, I provide a pair of contacts orterminals 56 and 58 which are carried by and movable with the arms 38 and 40, and a pair of contacts or terminals 68 and 62 which are supported by the false bottom 24. The contacts 56 and 58 are connected by wires 64 to one side of a battery 66 and the terminals 68 and G2 are grounded in any suitable manner. The other side of the battery 66 is connected by wires 61 to one side of a solenoid 58 which, when energized. actuates an arm 69. The arm 63 is connected, by suitable linkage to a member T2. The member 12 may act on the accelerator of an internal combustion engine to stop the flow of fuel thereto, may interrupt the ignition circuit of such engine ory may break the power circuit in the event the engine is electrically propelled. In all events, when the solenoid is energized, the engine of the boat is deactivated; The other side of the solenoid is suitably grounded by wire 14. The contacts 60 and 62 are supported by guide bearings 16 and are urged to the right, as viewed in' Figs, 2 and 5, by springs 18. The guide bearings 16 are in turn carried by a housing 19 which threadedly engages a4 threaded rod 80. The threaded rod 83 is carried by'a suitable support 82 mounted on the false bottom 24. The left hand end 84 of the rod 80 projects beyond the end wall 20 so as to be readily accessible. By turning the rod 88, in one direction or another, the terminals 60 and 62 can be moved to the right or to the left to bring them closer to or m'ove them further away from the terminals 56 and 58. as may be desired.

As long as the net is moving under uniform tension, the terminals 56 and 58 will be out of contact with the terminals 60 and 62 andthe solenoid 68 will remain inactive. Likewise the gauges 50 and 52 will indicate satisfactory working' conditions. If, however, 'one or both sides of the net should snag or should exert undue pull, the gauges or the corresponding gauge will so indicate and thev operator can then stop or maneuver the boat 4 as :may be indicated. If the operator should fail to observe the gauges or if he should fail to take appropriate action in time, and if the tension is enough to bring one or both of the terminals 56 and 58 into contact with the terminals 60 and 52, the solenoid 68 will be energized and will deactivate the motor propelling the boat. The action of the solenoid is timed to deactivate the motor before the tension is enough to cause any damage to the net or to the motor.

The. arms 38 and 40 are secured to the plungers j 26 and 28 by any suitable clamp not shown and are movable in elongated guide slots formed in the top wall 85a: of the box like structure housing the safety device.

In Fig. 8 I have diagrammatically illustrated the position which the parts will assume when the tension on the tow lines I4 exceeds a predetermined limit, as measured by the resistance of the springs 33, so that the spring, or springs, are compressed, and the plunger, or plungers, 26 and 28 and the arm, or arms, 38 and 40 move to the left as viewed in this gure. The movement of the plunger further into the sleeve 32 displaces some of the liquid in the sleeve and this displacement is measured and indicated by the gauge, or gauges, 58 or 52.

The springs 18 serve to cushion the terminals 60 and 62 so as to insure against damage in the event of sudden impact by the terminals 56 and 58 and so as to insure following contact between the juxtaposed terminals as the pull on the tow lines M varies.

It will thus be seen that I have produced an eifective and inexpensive safety device which is wholly automatic in its operation and which can be readily applied to fishing boats now in existence or those to be manufactured in the future.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

A safety device for an engine propelled boat of the type used for towing a net, said device including a solenoid adapted, when enengized, to stop the engine propelling the boat, a first contact, a second contact, an electric conductor connecting said second contact to said solenoid, a compression spring normally biasing said second contact away from said rst contact to prevent energization oi said solenoid, said spring, when subjected to a load of a predetermined value, being compressible to an extent sufficient to permit engagement of said contacts and energization of said solenoidandrmeans for exerting the drag of said net on said spring whereby when the load exerted by said net reaches said predetermined value, the solenoid is energized and the engine propelling the boat is stopped.

VITO DINTINO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name. Date 2,108,433 Edwards Feb. 15, 1938 2,342.665 Hammond et al Feb. 29. 1944 

